HHS Still Working on Agent Involvement in Healthcare Reform

PIA has been engaged in an ongoing dialogue with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about the continuing implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)...

January 16, 2013

PIA has been engaged in an ongoing dialogue with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about the continuing implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Roughly 29 states are expected to utilize a federally-facilitated exchange (FFE), which will beholden them to more federal regulation. HHS officials assure us that they want to cooperate with state officials and allow for as much flexibility as they can. They are hopeful that states will eventually transition from an FFE to a partnership or even a state based exchange. HHS has been very receptive to PIA’s concerns and open to our recommendations. PIA is expecting a guidance to be issued in the coming weeks that will answer questions about agent involvement in an FFE, compensation issues, and training. PIA’s conversations on these issues will continue until the guidance is finalized and we will communicate the expected details when they become public. In our conversations with HHS, regulators have assured us that they value the role of the agent and are looking to preserve the traditional compensation structure within the parameters of the law.